Beginner's guide to launching a trailer boat 

After years of battling backing trailers up I came across a tip that makes it easy. Hold onto the bottom of the steering wheel instead of the top. Then just move your hand in the direction you want the trailer to turn. Push the wheel left and the trailer goes left. push right, the trailer goes right. Works like a charm.

Dang. Wish I knew this before. I started on an 18 foot boat.

The tip of your bow is smacked inwards....What happend?good video😁

Also nice hair cut :)

Too much speech you make me tired. And speedy spoken is very disturbing manner.

If I can add my safety tip of the day ! Always put the ratchet part of the strap on the shoulder side ,so by some chance you need to pull to the side of the road and tighten the straps , you don't have to stand on the traffic side of the trailer ✌😎

Never reversed an form of trailer and followed your advice. Worked perfectly so much so I was in an out within 10 mins without even rushing through anything. Thanks for the tips

There's a lot to take into consideration when launching at ramps as you are well aware.I hope you don't mind if i share some tips to help others out too to add to yours.A good tip for beginers is to always check where the end of the ramp ends on unfamiliar ramps as you don't want your trailer wheels to go off the end,keep your windows down and doors unlocked,make sure your in park in an auto or 1st gear in a manual with the handbrake firmly applied,use chock/s behind trailer wheels particularly for heavy boats on slimy ramps(I have a pair off wooden chocks with a rope inbetween both that I simply place behind each wheel and loop the rope over the towball that when I drive away after launch/retrieval follow me up to the pre-rig area).If you have a partner get them to hold the brake pedal down when launching retrieving especially heavy boats as all 4 wheels will be braked instead of the 2 rears only when using the handbrake.If winching on use a long painter(rope) tied to the bow and stern at both ends to control the front and rear of the boat easier especially in wind and cross currents.Try to let the bearings cool for a period of time before dunking the trailer to prevent bearings sucking in water.When backing and making turns its easier to turn to the right as you'll get a better view of the trailer during the turn(this helps when backing into garage at home etc).These are just a few tips to add to Stuart's great advice and most of all enjoy your new boat and the pleasures of being a boater. Great video Stu. Cheers.

This was really good to watch. I have recently purchased my first boat, have to paint it and do a few other things but am looking forward to getting on the water this summer. I have never launched a boat so seeing this is good for me, thanks for uploading!!

There's one more smart thing you did, but I don't think you mentioned it: You crossed your safety chains between the trailer and the tow vehicle. Crossed, they will catch the hitch if it jumps off the ball (worn or poorly adjusted lock mechanism, or forgetting to lock the handle in) and reduce swaying of the trailer. if they're not crossed, not only can you get speed wobbles, but if the chains are long enough, the hitch can hit the road and really upset things!

I recently just purchased my first boat. My father was an avid fisherman and always had a boat of one sort or another when I was growing up. So I have some very distant boating experience. Watching your videos is a terrific refresher course for me. Of all the boating video channels I've watched on RU-vid, yours is my favorite. I enjoy your low key demeanor and lack of filler in your videos. I also appreciate your omission of the omnipresent "Like and Subscribe". While I really enjoy your laidback style, sometimes I do struggle to understand your audio especially when you are trying to talk with an outboard motor running in the background. Sometimes you "speak Australian" and use expressions probably common in Australia that I don't understand being American.

One tip I have for everyone is with straps, try not to leave them without a twist. Yes, put a twist in the strap when tying down. If you leave a strap straight, when you drive along on the road/highway/freeway, it will get a harmonic vibration happening. This vibration will actually shatter a strap. External loading in a helicopter in the army, we where taught to put 1 twist in for every 3 ft of strap. so one twist would be fine for a boat. same with the straps on your Bimini if you have it up when going to or from the ramp. Just put one twist in it. The harmonic vibration can't go around corners (the twist) and will stop. Try it next time your on the road. Put a twist in one side and no twist in the other. watch the none twisted strap vibrate like a bastard! :)

Matter of interest, I find it easier when reversing a trailer to keep my hands on the bottom of the steering wheel, if I need it to go right I push up with my right hand, if I need it to go left I push up with my left hand.

Lots of good tips and info. One trick for backing the boat trailer is put your steering wheel hand on the bottom of your vehicle steering wheel. Which ever way you move your steering hand is the direction the boat trailer will turn. If you want to be entertained, get a lawn chair and a cold drink, sit close the boat ramp, and watch husband tell wife how to back boat trailer in. I am pretty sure some marriages have ended at a boat ramp.

turn your wheels al the way to one direction ,if the brake fails your car wont go strait back in the water. cheers from holland

If you put one twist in your strap it should stop it “thrumming”. A lorry driver told me that? Great vid, as always.

19:57 "That's going nowhere" Said every man that ever tightened a ratchet strap ...

Just got my first boat here in the u.s. You're videos are very informative and you never miss a beat. Ive changed seals and learned how to launch a boat from a ramp, just by watching your videos. Thank you for your time and great instruction sir!

My boat is (very ancient), it has no power trim or tilt, mid '70s Mercury 85. It was great to see how easy you made it retrieving the boat with the motor down. I have always thought I't was going to be a much bigger deal than you showed it to be, just a bit of caution and its no issue. Thanks Stu.

I wanted to share a super easy solo launch method. So you install a rope cleat on the back of your trailer with stainless screws and nuts. I put Teflon around mine. Not centered, go off to the left or right a little. Tie rope around this, a good bit , you will run this rope to your eye bolt up front that your winch is hooked to. The idea is to unhook the winch and safety straps, and abruptly brake with your boat in the water almost - she slides right in on the first try if you do it right. Inch forward in your vehicle and “tow” the boat a bit closer to shore and get your trailer out the water. Put vehicle in park with the P brake on. You should have another rope affixed to the eye bolt that you can handle your boat with and tie off to a nearby piling while you park your vehicle. Always untie the trailer rope from the eye bolt before doing this - to avoid congestion - Make sure the launch rope has a clear path sitting inside the boat - mine runs along the lip of my boat, but I only take it out when it’s time to launch. It stays tied in a knot over the cleat when I am mobile. I should do a video on this, I found this method very useful and cannot find the original video I found it from. It was a guy with just a couple hundred views. But this method is great. Just make sure the safety straps are off the back before doing your abrupt launching, otherwise you become the show. :)

You're content is so good. The rawness is great for first timers too, gives us a realistic look at what's going on. Thanks mate you're a legend.

The bird crying out at the beginning is hilarious

I've been watching your videos for just a short time. One tip I learned early on when launching and retrieving my boat is getting to know the lake or other body of water and if there is more than one ramp available at different locations on the lake. I say this because my first experience of launching my boat was at a ramp on the windward side of the lake where the wind was strong and the lake was very choppy. The second time I launched was at a marina on the calm side of the lake where the ramp was in a small protected cove and I had a much better experience learning how to launch my boat. These days I never go back to ramp on the windward side because it's not worth the extra trouble. Please keep making the videos as I learn something new even after years of boating experience. :-)

Hawkesbury 👌

Great points. Set up and tear down your boat in the appropriate areas. Don't tie up the launch itself. Especially when you are backing in, TAKE YOUR TIME. It will wind up being faster in the long run. I constantly have to be on the look out for walkers who will walk right behind you when you are backing into the water. Not mentioned in the video, but pay your launch fee. At least here in America, most launch ramps have a minimal fee to defray the maintenance. Power loading is a big no no where I come from. Especially when the water is low. It creates an axle catching hole where the concrete ends. Not a good thing. I've watched a few video's from Dangar Marine. Great work! I'm hitting the subscribe button!

Is that an alfa romeo badge on the bow of the green machine? For extra speed I presume

You missed the biggest tip. GO! AND! PRACTICE!!! If you don't want to embarrass yourself at the ramp, take your boat and trailer to an empty parking lot and practice reversing.

Love the Alfa Romeo badge haha

In the NT almost every drives up the trailer I've actually seen some one rip the leg off there out board cause they just drove up in a rush hooked it up an pulled the boat straight up the ramp very steep ramp mind you ripped it clean off and he hadn't trimmed his outboard up

It would have been easy to clean that side mirror if you had the steering wheel on the correct side of the car! lol

At 0:30ish is that the mating call of the O-no bird When landing it calls out O-no O-no as it’s legs are 25cm long BUT it’s testies hang down 50cm Thanx from the left coast near the Krapitol of California

Stu, awesome stuff. I put always put my working eqiuip/ropes etc for on the passenger side, so should anything need to to be corrected enroute, that way i can do manage safely as per truck driver standards. Also, I have a tinny similar to green machine and added another ratchet strap at the bow, pulling the bow fwd and down, with the stern strap positioned behind 2 cleats pulling the boat fwd into the fwd roller, at the winch.

Great videos, thanks so much. If I was in the right hemisphere I'd buy you a beer. Thanks very much

I used to use similar ratchet straps to keep the transom of my boat against the bunks, but I recently installed a pair of those BoatBuckles that mount to the trailer frame and are ratcheting AND retractable just like a car's seat belt. Great $60 investment as they really simplify that step of the launching/recovering process. If you're boat has eye hooks on the back of the transom, you just hook to those and then ratchet the boat down on each side and lock the buckle. When you go to launch the boat, you unlock the ratchet and the strap retracts down into the buckle and stays tucked away until you need it again. I love them. My uncle's boat had these installed from the Lund dealership and when I saw them, I knew I had to get a pair for my trailer.

Turning the wheel to the mirror worked great today! Caught a mess of fish. Backed down the ramp like a pro. Thank you from Colorado. And no, never seen that kind of hitch before.

great video lots fun waching had some good larfts keek them coming joe in uk living east cost on top off sea thancs

8.30, that was some pretty impressive parking!

:30 I thought my wife was calling me.

A suggestion that came to me while watching this - how about a what to look for in a trailer- say when you are buying a boat and trailer - what to look at , check out , what is a nice to have, what could be used to negotiate a bit on price etc. Some things I have found - the longer the trailer. the easier it is to reverse (but they cut the corners more)I like a plank for a walkway on the trailer- safer than walking on most boat ramp slime to get to the bow, plus you don't have to lean over the trailer to get to the bow.'Rated' D shackles are now required for the safety chains. There are plenty of stories about the Queensland cops having a feast fining people from interstate last Christmas.Light boards - plus or minus? (plus to me)How about doing the same video but for using a break back trailer?So far I have watched just about all your videos. Although I can do most of the stuff already, the videos show me how what I know already is applied to boat work. Thanks for the great, simple and clear instructional videos, they are really better than a lot of stuff on the web!

leave a twist in the strap and it will not vibrate

Good job Stu, given you were working with one hand operating the camera. When testing my trailer lights, I use my tackle box to press down on the brake pedal. That way I can check all the trailer lights single-handed.

Tip #1 If there's nothing good on TV drive down to your local boat ramp, deck chair, sunnies, beer, and watch the passing parade of unpractised trailer reversers, shouting and doing their block, arguing with the missus. Great fun!

When I saw that hitch on the trailer, I was cracking up! grew up around boats my whole life in east coast us, never saw a hitch like that. So thats an aussie trailer hitch? (the handle part that lifts on the trailer hitch) hahaha learn something new every day with danger studio!

If you have the time, spend an hour at your local boat launch and watch others .It can be very enternaining. Like the time I saw a wowen get out of a boat before it was tied off . One leg in the boat the other on the dock. The boat pushed away she did the splits and down she went , splash ! Luckily the only thing hurt was her pride.

I like how you made sure to emphasize the boat prep areas. Nothing I hate more than waiting for people to unstrap the boat after they already put the trailer in the water. Great video as always looking forward to watching you fix the hydraulics.

Wow that boat has been through a bit. Great video!

They see me corollin'

Cheers again from Canadas West Coast.A lot of boaters over here will install wooden plank with carpet on trailer to use as a walkway.Also prefab.metal walkways available.

Thanks for an absolutely fantastic video. So many top tips. We’ll be launching our new boat in 2 weeks and I’ll be using your tips. Well done mate and greetings from Cologne.

Thank you for the advice!

That boat has seen better days, but you do a fine strap on. I'll show myself out

Hi mate, thank you because you gave me confidence to tackle a four stroke Yamaha head change. I just recon you probably should have mentioned the handbrake, even though it would be stating the obvious. Just mentioning it, not being critical. Cheers ,Darryl.

cockatoo wants in on your video mate :)

Is that trailer tongue style popular in Australia? I live in the US and I've never seen anything like that.

hey :D i was wounding when you would do this video :D thanks mate :)

I always wanted a tow ball hitch like that but in the US can't find them.

There's just one thing I have to say! Read More

Hi. I have watched so many of your videos. You have been such a great thing to have in my tool box. Which is why Im not happy with myself that my first comment is thus. I would like to add to your wonderful, video, that if the base under the trailer is sand, DO NOT use your engine to bring the boat further up the trailer. By doing that the prop wash creates a hole in the sand under the water for the next vehicle to get stuck in. Sorry that my first comment detracts from your AWESOME videos.

Pontoons are awesome. We had one at the lock ramp. The pylon got damaged in a storm. 5 years ago. Still waiting for it to get fixed. Bloody councils. Hunpf.

I had real problems getting my boat off its trailer and into the water. The rollers have flat spots on them and I did not want to get down too far and get the car wheels wet.. That was 6 months ago and I still have not gotten it into the water >.> I'm somewhat scared of trying again hahaha. Also, I needed a new battery so, that's good. After watching this I think I'll be able to try again. I'll have to use the motor to reverse the boat off, I did not think of that the first time. Thank you for the vid :)

Hi, I love your videos, I see them all, they are very helping, In this one I would have liked you to explain why you crossed the safety chains, because that is somewhat impotant, keep on going with your vids they are the best, greetings too everyone

Is it even sea worthy? Lol its a. Boat hell yea its seaworthy!!!

geuss we learn the hard way. i untied my speedboat too soon and it slid off the trailer on the concrete ramp. what a dumbass. now i know unhook whem ready to go in water. i 'm learning to do it with no help. its only a 11ft boat. thanx

Hi Stu, I have a question. Would attaching anode's to the boat trailer be a good idea? I launch in fresh and salt water and my trailer is steel. Would using zink and magnesium for different water types on the trailer help in reducing electrolysis-rust? Thank you

Lots of good info once again. The “how to dock” one was great for me too. PS...luv the “design”/metal “fabrication” of the bow of The Green Machine. 😂🇨🇦👍🏼

Try this simple method of steering. The direction the bottom of the steering wheel turns will be the direction the rear of the trailer will turn. So when your backing put your hand on the bottom of the steering wheel and move your hand in the direction that the rear of the trailer needs to go.

Would like to get a boat soon, I have no experience with them at all. Seeing you use a little corolla was good to see as I have the same car and I'm glad I don't need an upgrade haha.

That’s my problem!!! Can’t see the naked trailer when reversing then get flustered when I continually fluff it. The ‘“right/left hand down” toward the mirror tip is going to save me! I love your videos Stu. Thanks so very much!

Good tutorial, I don't know if you mentioned when backing the boat down the ramp using a car don't go so far the exhaust pipe submerges. I will stall the car out.

that trailer tong looks really weird lol

How can you be so lazy as to not clear the cobwebs, if you're posting videos on RU-vid you owe it to your viewers to at least try to have some sort of pride in its presentation.

LOL try that on the Knab Rock Mumbles South Wales UK on a slightly windy day Oh My Lord you'll be putting holes in your boat in no time. I wish I lived where you are looks fantastic.

Any chance you could make a video on how to launch and retrieve a boat with a tilt trailer, the clips on youtube are not very helpful

Great video for us " rookies". Appreciate the point of doing your prep off the ramp. Just subscribed.

Gets better with the Alfa "Biscone" haha

I know this is old video but found that a great tip steering towards the trailer in the mirror. I have always rubber necked it - this will help me a lot since I am not as young as I used to be, love it, thanks, Stew.

It's bad manners to power on to your trailer, creates holes beyond the concrete

this a great vid . i dont have a boat licence but a lot of common sense . so my bro launches the boat with me in it . i start it puttt around and pick him up on the wharf

you answer all remarkes. i like that.

0:40 WTF IS THAT BIRD OR THING!!?!??!??!!

Don’t forget; unplug your trailer wiring before going in the water.

Good work. Very easy to relate to. Thanks for sharing!

Lovely day and quiet ramp. Rare perfection !

Yes Capitan; I think you covered it all. When I brought my boat home the strap tail was fluttering about and at the traffic light this bobo stopped on the top of my strap. What a surprise I got when I tried to pull away. Thanks fer another great video. PS. you drive on the wrong side of the road there,,, LOL. :-D

i bet they do . been watching a few videos thanks hey the anchor vid was great lmbo

wish my new 2 seat speed boat looked as good as yours. .. ha!

Stu.what are council doing at Parsley Bay ramp ? I noticed it's closed off..

thank you for all your vidos i have lernd a lot waching your repare vidos showed me a lot too hope you put more out thanks john king in the usa nc

The only thing that i don't get is why you submerge the entire trailer instead of using the vinsch? The trailer you are using seems to be a "regular" one and not a float on type? I have learned to never back the trailer in further than water to the lowest wheel nut to not have brakes and bearings rust.

Thanks for this upload

Nicely done. How long is The Green Machine ?

I'm a trucker here in the US the trailer cutting the corner is known as "off tracking". Rather, a trailer, especially a long one, does not follow the same path as the tractor or tow vehicle.

I've been really enjoying your videos mate, just wondering if you have a procedure for limiting the damage that submerging the trailer in salt water does. I imagine a good hose down would go a long way, but do the wheel bearings become an issue?

I personally never get my rear wheels wet. And also I never take my eyes off the trailer, except with the odd 360 degrees head turn.

I do not believe in putting the wheel bearings under water & I have launched my boat many times from that same ramp.

There are plenty of RU-vid videos showing immersed cars being recovered from boat ramps. How is this such a common thing that people end up with their whole car and trailer underwater?

very well put together as always i learnt something today

There is only one thing to know about putting a boat in the water from a trailer that is important, before braking to shoot the boat off the trailer... tie the painter to something on the trailer !!

Got the basics, thanks. Just remains for me to fit a submarine TV in the car just in case it gets submerged. Cheers, mate!

Would you be fine towing a tinnie on a 03 ford falcon?